Stabilizing means for bridges



' R. Z. DRAKE STABILIZING MEANS FOR BRIDGES Filed April 26. 1925 2 Sheets-Sheet l @ct. so, 923. mzmss R. Z. DRAKE STABILIZING MEANS FOR BRIDGES Filed April 26. 1925 2 Sheets-Sheet 2 Patented Get. 3Q, 1923.

EUNETEQ g i MYZESE ROBERT Z. DRAKE, F OMAHA, NEBRASKA.

STABILIZING IvIEAN S FOB. BRIDGES.

Application filed npril 26, 1923.

. for Bridges, of which the following is a specification.

This invention has for one of its ob ects to provlde means for absorbing shocks and preventing vibration of bridges, and par-' ticularly to prevent vibration from shocks delivered to the floor at the ends of a bridge by impact of vehicles when driven thereon. Another object of the invention is to provide such a construction that any transverse swinging movements of the floor-joists from shocks may be adequately resisted, and that shocks and stresses from impact, for the most part, will be absorbed by the abut- Inents, piers or piles at the ends of a bridge and will not be communicated to parts of the bridge remote therefrom, as is usual where the means, as described hereinafter, are not used.

This, in part, is accomplished by an arrangement of separated sections supported by the girders, each section consisting of a plurality of floor-joists secured to the girders and disposed crosswise of the bridge, said joists for each section being traversed by tie-rods which carry tubular spacing-memhere, the latter being disposed between with their ends abutting against the floor joists, so that each section-wil1 operate independently and in such a manner that stresses for the most part, will not be communicated from one section to an adjacent section; connected buffer-members being provided for the abutments, piers or piles and arranged to support the floor at the ends of the bridge, so that shocks or stresses from impact will be communicated to said piles or abutments.

WVith the foregoing objects in view, the invention presents a novel and useful construction, combination and arrangement of parts, as described herein and claimed, and as illustrated in the accompanying drawing, wherein,

Fig. 1 is a view of a bridge in longitudinal section, provided with my improvement. Fig. 2 is a plan view showing an end portion of the bridge, and Fig. 3 is an end View of the bridge, parts being broken away.

Serial No. 634,749.

added and in section. Fig. 5 is a rear view of the parts shown in Fig. 4. Fig. 6 is a front view of a buffer-member. Fig. 7 is a side view of a triangular plate. 7

Referring now to the drawing, the invention is shown and described in connection with a pair of I-beams or girders 1 of a bridge, said girders being supported at their ends upon piles 2. Additional, intermediate piles 2 are also shown, and each bent of piles is provided with a cap a. However, it will be understood that abutments or piers may be substituted for the piles, if desired, for supporting the bridge, since operation of the invention would be the same.

Numerals 3 indicate floor-joists, these being disposed transversely of the bridge and supported at their ends upon horizontal strips 4: of angle iron which are secured to the inner sides of the girders, angle-plates 5 also being employed, these being secured to the girders and to the joists. Numerals 6 indicate floor planks, there being disposed in the area. between and parallel with the girders, and suitably secured to the joists.

The means provided for stabilizing the floor at the ends of the bridge will now be described. It will be seen that no floor joists are provided for the ends of the girders, and that the planks extend longitudinally of the bridge as far as the ends of the girders and beyond each terminal joist, to be supported by a pair of upright buffermembers 7 connected by a horizontally disposed reinforcing-plate 8 and a strip of angle-iron 9.

By referring to Fig. 2 of the drawing, it will be seen that members 7 are disposed in spaced relation at the ends of a bridge, their distance apart preferably being approximately equal to the distance apart of the wheels on the axles of vehicles. When crossing a bridge, vehicles are generally driven along the middle part of the floor, and therefore shocks and stresses delivered by rapidly moving or heavily loaded vehicles, when first engaging the floor, may be sustained to advantage by said members 7 since they are disposed below and in the vertical plane of the parts of the floor usually engaged by the wheels.

Members 7 may have any suitable construction which will provide a mounting for the top angle-strips 9 and the plate 8,

strip 9.

posed in an upright position upon an abutment, pier or pile, said plate 10, in side elevation having the form, approximately, of a right-angled triangle, and being provided, at its opposed-sides, at one of its ends, with a pair of horizontal angle-plates 11 adapted to be secured to a cap a, and provided at its outer edge, upon its opposed sides, with a pair of angle-plates 12adapted to be secured to the plate 8 and angle- Numerals 13 indicate a pair of angle-plates which are secured upon opposed sides of the plate 10, near its inclined edge, to prevent buckling. 7

It will be seen that-each member 8 and 9 has a length corresponding to the width of the bridge, the angle-strips 9 being secured to and disposed above members 7; and the plates 8 are secured to the angle plates 12 and to members 7, and preferably said plates are secured to the caps a, this construction preventin any movements of thepiates 8 and angle-strips 9 and buffer members 7 transversely of the bridge, and on account of the construction as described, stresses directed to the bufferunembers will, for the most part, be sustained by thepiles.

Numerals 14 indicate tie-rods which traverse apertures 15 formed in the floor joists, said rods having a length sufficient to con.- nect the joists of a section, and having threadedterminals. Numerals 16 indicate tubular Spacingmembers .or sleeves, each being disposed between two adjacent floor joists and traversed by a rod 14; and by means of nuts 17 which may be rotated when mounted on the threaded terminals of the rods, the ends of the sleeves may be pressed against and maintained in engagement with the floor joists, and therefore tending to prevent vibration of the parts of a section or any transverse swinging movements, midway between their ends, or the floor joists of a section; and since the sleeves 16 are disposed in line with the plates 10, they will absorb shocks to advantage, and will co-operate with members 7 for. communicating shocks to the piles or abutments of a bridge. 7

Any suitable number of floor-joists may be included in a section, depending principally upon the length of the joists, and any suitable number of sections may be used, depending upon bridge.

It will be seen that it floor-joists were mounted between the girders at the extreme ends ofthe bridge as a substitute for the buffer-members 7, excessive shocks caused the length of the by vehicles when moving upon the end of a bridge would be delivered to the sections, which is an objectionable feature and may be avoided by use of said members 7. While I have specifically shown two of members 7 for communicating shocks and stresses to the ground supports or" a bridge, such as piles, piers or abutments, the number of members 7 may be increased or ,decreased, and the number of lOClSli and their braces or spacingsleeves 16 for each section may be increased or decreased if desired. depending upon the width of a bridge,

I claim as my invention 1.1n stabilizing means for a bridge provided with girders having ground supports, floor joists disposed at approximately unitorni longitudinal intervals of and secured to the girders transversely thereof and arranged in sections, tie-rods disposed approximately parallel with the girders each engaging the floor joists of a section, each end of each tie-rod of a section being disengaged from the floor joist of a section adjacent thereto. I

2. In stabilizing means for a bridge, provided with girders having ground supports at its ends, floor joists disposed approximately at right angles to and supportedby thegirders and arranged in separated sections, tie-rods disposed approximately parallel with the girders and traversing the joists of a section, means on the tie-rods in engagement with the joists of a section for maintaining said joists in stationary relation relative to each other, a floor on said joists between the girders, and; upright stabilizing members of triangular form in side eleva tion on the ground supports of the girders for supporting the floor.

3. In stabilizing means for a bridge provided with girders having ground supports,

floor joists disposed at approximately uni-' form longitudinal'intervals of and secured to the girders transversely thereof and arranged in sections,'tie-rods disposed approximately parallel with the girders each engaging the floor joists of a section, each end of each tie-rod of a section being disengaged' from the floor joists of a section adjacent thereto, a floor on said joists, and bufferanembers of triangular form in side elevation engaging the floor and ground supports; I

4:. In stabilizing means for a bridgeprovided with girders'having ground supports, floor joists disposed at. approximately uniform longitudinal intervals'of and secured to the girders transversely thereof andarranged in sections, tie-rods disposed approximately parallel with the girderseach engaging the floor joists of a section, each end of each tie-rod of a section being dis engaged from the floor joists of a section adjacent thereto, a floor on said joists, and

buffer-members of triangular form in side elevation disposed in the plane of the tierods in engagement with the floor and said ground supports.

5. In stabilizing means for a bridge provided with girders having ground supports for their ends, floor joists disposed transversely of and secured to the girders, said floor joists being arranged in separated sections lon itudinally of the bridge, the sections nearest to the ends of the bridge including terminal floor joists disposed inwardly of the ends of the girders, a floor upon the floor joists having parts extending outwardly beyond the terminal floor joists, and a butter-member of triangular form in side elevation between and tending to communicate shocks from the extended parts of the floor to the ground supports of the girders.

6. In stabilizing means for a bridge, said bridge being providedwith girders having ground supports at their ends, floor joists disposed transversely of and secured to the girders including terminal floor joists inwardly of the ends of the girders,'a floor upon the floor joists having parts extending outwardly beyond the terminal floor joists, Lauder-members between for communicating shocks or stresses from the extended parts of the floor to the ground supports of the girders, each buffer-member including a triangular plate provided with angle-plates upon its opposed sides adjacent to its edges.

7. In stabilizing means for a bridge, said bridge being provided with girders having ground supports at their ends, floor joists disposed transversely of and secured to the girders including terminal floor joists disposed inwardly of the ends of the girders, a floor upon the floor joists having parts extending outwardly beyond the terminal floor joists, rods traversing certain consecutive floor joists and the terminal fioor joists to define sections, sleeves on the rods between the floor joists of a section, means movable on the rods for pressing the ends of the sleeves against the floor joists, and buffermembers of triangular form between for communicating shocks from the extended parts of the floor to the ground supports of the girders.

8. In stabilizing means as described, the combination with the girders of a bridge and the ground supports for the ends of the girders, of joists disposed approximately at right-angles to the girders and provided with a floor, tie-rods disposed approximately parallel with the girders and traversing the joists, sleeves between the joists and traversed by the tie-rods, keepers revoluble on the tie-rods for pressing the sleeves into engagement with the joists, and butfer-rneinbers of approximately triangular form in side elevation, each bufier-member being disposed between the floor and a ground support, in line with a tie-rod, for communieating shocks or stresses from the floor to said ground support.

In testimony whereof, I have afiixed my signature in presence of two witnesses.

ROBERT Z. DRAKE. Witnesses:

ARTHUR H. STURGES, HIRAM A. Swansea 

